NOCTILUCA May 2018

nor thnoct . com @Nor thNoct

Appleton, Wisconsin

May 2018

Vol. XXIII

Issue V Appleton

Improving school spirit with student help Is there too much focus on sports at Appleton North?

By Maddie Clark

What do you think of when you think of school spirit? Do you think of the big crowds at football games and not being able to hear yourself think over the loud cheers of the student section and the songs the pep band is playing? Or do you think of a large group of students playing different instruments and producing a melodic song in an orchestra concert? Chances are you think of the former. It’s no secret that when people talk about showing school spirit, they are talking about showing up to sporting events and cheer- ing on the team playing. Sure, they can be talking about go- ing and supporting the band, or the choir, or the forensics team, but it’s unlikely. “I believe school spirit ebbs and flows at times with how our sporting teams are doing in any given year. There are some sports that carry larger crowds at North but I believe if you follow sports around

The Appleton North student section cheering on their fellow classmates at a football game. Photo courtesy of Mr. Werner

on school spirit at sport- ing events rather than other events like an orchestra con- cert or a debate tournament? “Some of it is just tradition, I suppose. Throughout the years, it has become accept- ed that sporting events are

the venues that draw larger crowds,” said Mr. Nate Wer- ner, Appleton North’s activi- ties director when asked that same question. If it’s such a widely known stereotype that sporting events draw more people to the venue, then

why aren’t we changing this dynamic? Why are students still focusing on supporting sports events, especially af- ter the controversy surround- ing those events in the past See Clark , page 2

the area and state, you will see similarities,” said Mr. David Pynenberg, Apple- ton North’s principal, when asked about school spirit in- volving sports. Now you may ask, why is there a bigger emphasis

Teachers prepare with ALICE drills

On February 14, the day of one of the worst school shoot- ings inAmerican history, Presi- dent Trump proposed arming teachers to improve the safety of children while on campus. “Today the House took ma- jor steps toward securing our Mr. Curtis Salm, Mr. Reed Rudie, Mrs. Kelsi VanFossen, and Mr. Steve Sugrue participated in the ALICE training at North. Photos by Rachel Kairys Staff give their opinion on safety in schools By Rachel Kairys See Kairys , page 2 schools by passing the STOP School Violence Act. We must put the safety of America’s children FIRST by improving training and by giving schools and law enforcement better tools. A tragedy like Park- land can’t happen ever again,” tweeted Trump on February 14. Some schools in the nation already have the bill in ac- tion and have teachers armed. However, Appleton North had ALICE training for teachers by doing a shooting simulation drill, rather than acting on the bill right away. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. The simulation involved teachers

NEWS Appleton, Wisconsin May 2018 Volume XXIII

Issue V Page 2

Kairys , Teachers, from page 1

Clark , Improving, from page 1 couple years?

exits. Sugrue: Knowing whether to exit the building or stay in the room, and running through scenarios in my mind of ‘if this happened or if that happened’. I would feel more prepared if more tools from the district were given to allow blockades for doors, such as blockades, straps, etc. to help individual teachers secure their doors. VanFossen: I have had lots of conversations with other teachers who are in a room that has a location similar to mine and what evacuating and barri- cading looks like in my room. I asked officers lots of questions in the intruder drill. Bleck: I have switched up arrangements to make the best setup by putting the two largest pieces of furniture by doors. I followed all the policies with ALICE by locking doors and using covers for windows and doors. I have a lamp with a cord in a position nearby to secure the door shut, I give groups responsibilities for what may happen, each would qui- etly barricade each door, open window, take off screens, etc. I discuss what would make most sense, which exit to take. My priority is to get out of build- ing, point out possible weapons to students, but I would feel more prepared if there were drop ladders to put out second floor windows. Noctiluca: What are some tips you would give to others (adults or students) in a shoot- ing? Salm: Remain calm and to prepare by having more simu- lations with students would be best. Rudie: Have to act but also have to try to keep a clear head and do something, act and re- act to the situation and to know what you’re going to do, and have a plan. Sugrue: Stay as calm as pos- sible, and take action according to your training. VanFossen: When at all pos- sible, evacuate. Be prepared to change your plan, if you decide to barricade if you evacuate or vice versa, be willing to adjust to whatever plan you make, or however it my change. Bleck: To take the shooter trainings seriously, mentally think through situations and how you think you should respond. Then plan and go through training with all your classes and arrange your room so that you will be able to bar- ricade quickly and quietly, and love other people so people don’t feel the need to shoot others.

asked what can be done to improve school spirit at North. This group would take a lot of time and work to establish, but they would help keep positivity, not neg- ativity, going at sporting or other extracurricular events and they would make sure a good amount of people are attending every event such as fine arts concerts or fo- rensics tournaments or other extracurricular events. These individuals would help im- prove school spirit at North as a whole. Nonetheless, this may take a very long time to or- ganize. “I think this would take a long time to establish and would need a lot of sup- port. But, eventually, I’d like to see something like this become a culture at Apple- ton North,” said Werner. He hopes to have a group put together before the start of summer so the group can meet a few times during July and August. How would one help start the process of building a better school spirit culture at Appleton North? The answer, while a simple one, may be harder for some than others. “School spirit is something that adminis- tration has prioritized and continues work on with our booster club, student groups and the overall student body. This is something that stu- dents play a huge role in and it will only improve with a team effort,” said Pynen- berg. Whether it be a bas- ketball game or a band con- cert, coming and supporting your friends and your school at these events will take the necessary steps towards bet- tering school spirit. So take a few days out of your busy schedule and plan to come support your friend at what- ever event they are partici- pating in. It may just inspire you, and others, to show off your school spirit.

Salm: Yes, and a little more scared. Rudie: Yes. Sugrue: Yes, I feel more pre- pared, but less certain about how I would react because I won’t have as much time. I am more prepared now and know I won’t have as much time. VanFossen: Yes. Noctiluca: What do you think would be an alternative to arming teachers? Salm: Putting age restriction on guns in general, and better and more effective background checks. Rudie: Either enforcing cur- rent gun laws with background checks or eliminating assault rifles and bump stocks. Oth- erwise, having armed security guards. Sugrue: Develop a society that doesn’t resolve conflicts with firearms, but due to the reality that there are so many firearms in the society. Maybe arm trained security officers, while increasing the number of trained security officers. VanFossen: Making schools more secure, adequately pre- paring staff and students, mak- ing automatic firearms more difficult to get, and continuing to have conversations about what to do when. Bleck: Equipping teachers with proper training, safety equipment for getting out of the building, improve security entry points, and addressing mental health as a whole soci- ety. Noctiluca: Would you be comfortable handling a gun, especially in an actual shoot- ing? Sugrue: Not without hav- ing more training that involves practicing real life scenarios. VanFossen: Probably not, however I took gun safety when I was young and know how to handle a gun. Bleck: No, I won’t know how to react until it happens, I would be more protective over getting everyone out of the building, rather than try to fight off the shooter. Noctiluca: How are you pre- pared or preparing? Salm: I took the screen off windows for faster escape and rearranged tables to make it easier for a barricade. Rudie: Knowing what I would do if I was in my room with students, and knowing the Salm: No. Rudie: No.

being placed in random rooms throughout the school with an “active shooter” in the build- ing. The teachers had to fig- ure out the best plan possible, whether that was to evacuate or barricade based on several fac- tors. The Noctiluca interviewed some of the teachers that par- ticipated in the simulation. Those interviewed were Mr. Curtis Salm, Mr. Reed Rudie, Mr. Steve Sugrue, Mrs. Kelsi VanFossen, and Mr. Kevin Bleck. Here are their responses to the following questions: Noctiluca: What was the simulation scene like? Would you have reacted differently if you knew more of what to ex- pect? Salm: It was very realistic because there were real guns being shot, and I felt like I knew what I was doing until it happened. Rudie: I did good and they told me everything that was go- ing to happen. Sugrue: [It was] a lot differ- ent than the ordinary training or practice. It made me real- ize how I react in the ordinary practices since they aren’t as realistic as real life and I won’t have as much time as I thought to make a decision as to wheth- er to stay or leave. It was very eye opening, and made me completely rethink how to re- act. VanFossen: There were groups of teachers placed in rooms throughout the school. There was a shooter in the school with a gun with blanks and there was a lot of prepa- ration leading up to it. The teachers talked with principals and officers and separated into classrooms with decisions of barricading or evacuating, de- pending on the classroom. Salm: It was very helpful, it made me reevaluate the plan I had in case of any circum- stance. Rudie: Yes, very much, it was made as realistic as pos- sible. Sugrue: Very helpful. VanFossen: Extremely. Very intense and something you don’t want to do but it brought up very good conversations about the scenarios. Noctiluca: Do you feel more prepared after going through the simulation? Noctiluca: Was it helpful?

In 2016, the WIAA made changes to what should and shouldn’t be said at sport- ing events, particularly ban- ning chants that could be perceived as derogatory or negative. These changes made a lot of people very an- gry at the WIAA for making changes they found silly or unnecessary. However, those changes might be needed when it comes to changing the dynamic of school spirit at Appleton North, especially when it comes to sporting events. “I do think it’s unfor- tunate that for some students, the only way they seem to have fun at a game is when they can disparage the other team’s players. I would really like to see this change and for our student section to be able to have fun, and cheer on and support our team rather than just jeering the opponent. I really want our events to be a destination for our students and I want to make them fun, but it’s also important that we support our team and not just bash the other team. It especially is troublesome to me when I see our own stu- dents bashing each other on social media when it comes to them participating,” said Werner. “What can we do to bring people to not just sport- ing events and improve the positivity surrounding these events?” “I am looking to create a group of students to take on this very topic of improving our school spirit. I have re- searched other high schools and many have what they call “Front Row Clubs” in their school where students actually monitor and direct the spirit and behavior at events,” said Werner when

Mr. Werner huddling in with the Appleton North student section at a soccer game. Photo courtesy of Mr. Werner

OPINIONS Appleton, Wisconsin May 2018 Volume XXIII

Issue V Page 3

Noctiluca Editorial

Parking problems? Some creative solutions emerge

As many of you may have noticed, the parking situation at Appleton North High School has gotten increasingly… crowded. It has gotten to the point where—at certain times of the day—there are more cars than spots available to hold them. This flux between vacant spots and lots filled to over ca- pacity can be attributed to two compounding factors: Students have varying sched- ules. Whether it be for senior re- lease, lunch, or classes at other schools (Renaissance, Tesla, etc.), there are always kids com- BACKGROUND After the persecution of the Jews in Europe in World War II, Great Britain sought to find a land for them to take refuge and essentially build a home in. Great Britain, being the im- perialistic country it was, had a “British Mandate” (meaning they put a circle over it on their map and called it theirs) over an area in the Middle East named Palestine. Since Palestine is a land that is significant in Juda- ism as well as Christianity and Islam, they thought it best to have the Jews migrate there, as many were already doing so. Take note, this land was not empty, for it contained a people called the Palestinians.As more and more Jews fled in, tensions began to rise. Zionism began to take form, which is the move- ment of Jewish people creating a homeland in Palestine. As the situation worsened, Great Britain passed the mat- ter to the United Nations; but rather than unite, on May 15th, 1948, the UN divided Palestine into two states: Jewish-Israel and Arab-Palestine, and this is when the problem truly mani- fested. Where this day became the Independence Day of Israel and a day of celebration for Is- raelis, it became known as Al Nakba, or “The Catastrophe” for the Palestinians, since it signified the day that almost 700,000 Palestinians were ex- pelled from their homes. Since 1948, Palestine hasn’t seen very much peace. More wars, riots, bombings, and mas- sacres have taken place, leav- ing more Israelis and Palestin- ians dead, as well leaving more Palestinians without homes. By Sara Zaidan

ing and going. As the year progresses, more and more North students ac- quire their driver’s license. This means that the number of stu- dents utilizing the parking lot at the end of the year is signifi- cantly larger than the start of the year. The situation has bred a lot of discontentment among the stu- dent body. Some feel frustrated with the lack of space in the lots, while others are more upset with some of the unsafe/illegal parking methods they have wit- nessed. Either way, the problem

is becoming increasingly evi- dent as tensions rise. Unfortunately, at this point, there isn’t much the school dis- trict can do as far as instanta- neous solutions go. They can’t exactly build a brand new park- ing lot in a week, especially considering the underlying funding and approval that do- ing so would require. The best they can offer us is street park- ing, which, let’s be honest, isn’t ideal. However, thereare some super simple solutions that students CAN implement into their daily

lives. For one, CARPOOLING. This one is super easy. Even if each of us picked up one other person on our way to school, the amount of cars in the lot would be cut in half. Also, a positive side effect of this strategy would be a decrease in fuel emissions, making North a greener school and community. Even if you’re involved in after school activi- ties, this is a totally viable op- tion because then you simply need to find people to carpool with that share your schedule! Additionally, try taking ad- vantage of alternative meth-

ods of transportation. With the weather warming up, more green options such as walking and biking to school are becom- ing a lot easier! Not only would you not have to worry about the parking situation, you’d also be getting fit and making strides to- ward that summer body. Overall, this situation seems to be a student-made problem that is best solved with student- made solutions. We have the power within our own grasp to adopt these changes and make all of our lives easier, so let’s do it! they ate raw onions in order not to starve, they were robbed, babies died, and families were divided; but finally, the sur- vivors reached a camp where other villagers had also run to. The young boy grew into a young man in the camp and traveled to a nearby country to study, only to come back in the midst of war. Men under 20 were thrown into trucks and if they didn’t comply, they were shot. He had no choice but to once again be driven out of his home. The man was separated from his new fiance, so she decided to travel to him so they could marry. After their marriage, they migrated once more to another country where the man found a job, and maybe a stable life. They settled and had 10 lovely children. Living there for years, the man was offered citizenship of this land, but he kindly declined saying, “I will return home.” This man is my grandfather, and his home is Palestine. A home I have only heard stories about and seen pictures of, be- cause as anArab, it is immense- ly difficult, nearly impossible, to be allowed inside. A home that he always recalls the vil- lages of, while barely recalling my mother as his daughter. A home his heart aches to see one last time. A home he isn’t al- lowed to visit solely because of his ethnicity: Palestinian. Even if he is let in, even if extensive paperwork is accepted, he still can’t go back home, can’t die in peace where he was born. Not anymore. He can’t even get out of bed, because 9 years ago, a stroke paralyzed him from the neck down.

Seventy years of stolen sovereignty

Sara’s grandfather, Mohammad Alhourani. Photos contributed by Sara Zaidan.

NOW Today, only 15 percent of Palestine belongs to Palestin- ians (leaving the majority and the most resource rich areas to Israel), and millions of Pales- tinian refugees wish to return home. When they try to return to their homes, they are barred, and therefore separated from their families and loved ones inside. Most of the millions of refugees have sought out safety in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jordan, but have also scat- tered all over the world.The Palestinians still inside Israel are deprived of many rights such as those of land and hous- ing, and are restricted by Israeli military rule which consists of strict checkpoints, home inva- sions, arrests without reason, and abuse of civilians. Walls (which are illegal under inter- national law) and borders re- strict Palestinians from even entering Israeli areas, which is gruesome especially when medical care is needed.

Attempts at peace talks have been made but are most often unsuccessful, as Israel wants to exist, while Palestinians want their homes back. Currently, Palestinians are using non-violent, popular protest. They are tired of the violence that has lasted for decades on both sides of the conflict. These protests over the years have included boy- cotts, social media presence, as well as the events occuring now on the Gaza border fol- lowing Land Day. Palestinians have gathered at the Gaza-Is- raeli border to peacefully pro- test their right to return to their homes. The Israeli military is shooting these civilians down; the current number of Palestin- ian deaths is 35 since Land Day on March 30th, but this gives them more of an incentive to stand their ground. Because the peace talks be- tween political powers has not worked, the people have taken the cause into their own hands.

Since the issue started, young Palestinian activists have strived to bring justice to their people. As of lately, more Pal- estinians and non-Palestinians have taken action. Young ac- tivists are using social media to get information out to the world to bring attention and awareness to the conflict. In order for change to be brought about, an end to the violence, oppression of the Palestinians, and for peace to be restored, a greater global awareness needs to be made. PERSONAL ANECDOTES An 8-year-old boy and his family lived a fine life in a copious village. One day, af- ter hearing that wicked people were raiding nearby villages— killing, raping, and looting— the boy and his family had to run away. Intending to return when situations were safe, they turned away from their homes and belongings to find safety. This was a painful journey;

OPINIONS Appleton, Wisconsin May 2018 Volume XXIII

Issue V Page 4

The truth behind Appleton North recycling and why it’s important to be conscientious

Noctiluca MissionStatement The Noctiluca and north noct.com are the student-run news sources of Appleton North High School. Noctiluca and northnoct. com are designated public forums for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Noctiluca’s mission is to publish information relevant to its readers and its community. Its goal is to maintain high ethical standards and provide a desig- nated public forum for free and responsible expression of views. Appleton North High School

By Shia Ulman There has been rumors flying around the school that putting trash into the recycling bins placed around the halls makes no difference because Apple- ton North does not recycle and it’s simply a waste of time. In fact Appleton North does recycle. There are four garbage and two recycling dumpsters placed near the back pool doors of the school. Our well known custodial manager, Rodney, spoke about a trial run performed last year to recycle milk cartons but it failed after no effort was put in by the students. In fact when I talked to the Facilities coordinator, Mar- tin Hintz, he informed me that among the recycling bins throughout the school only a few make it into the recycling process. In order for the recycling bins to go to the center, the bin must not be contaminated. At the end of the day all night shift custodians go through the bins. If the bin does not have any contaminated content, it will be picked up either Tuesday or Thursday by Advanced Disposal. If it

ing to global warming. Re- cycling also provides job opportunities for our econ- omy. Recycling, reusing, and composting creates 6-10 times as many jobs as landfills and incinerators. Lastly the third step, after manufacturing, is purchas- ing the new products made from recycled materials. If you were to buy products that were easily recycled, or even products that could be reused, it would narrow down the waste you create. On average, the american makes 4.6 pounds of gar- bage everyday. If we, the customers, were to only buy materials that were re- cyclable and or made from recycled material then manufacturers will need to alter the way they make their products in order to meet the demand of the customer, inevitably caus- ing us to recycle more of- ten. This is in fact the ideal, but you, as one person, could make a change too. To make small cuts like re- using a Ziploc bag or going thrifting instead of buying new clothes would make a world of a difference.

5000 N. Ballard Road Appleton, WI 54913 Phone: (920) 832-4300

Mr. Ramponi, staff advisor, at: ramponiaaron@aasd.k12.wi.us.

Editorial Staff Senior Editor-In-Chief Jake Zajkowski Junior Editor-In-Chief Salma Abdel-Azim News Editor Maddie Clark Opinions Editor Carl Zuleger Features Editor Henry Ptacek Center Spread Editor Ahmad Abdel-Azim Culture Editor Sarah Fleming Sports Editor Kyle Hoffenbecker Photography Editor Olivia Molter Copy Editor Silvia Knighten Adithi Reddy Social Media Editor Amara Neitzke Graphics Editor Sonia Tallroth Online Editor Sarah Fleming Advisor Mr. Ramponi Contributors Ahmad Abdel-Azim Emily Benti Jack Cain

Here’s an example of what it looks like to properly use the recy- cling bins here at North. Photo by Olivia Molter

the sake of helping. This is really disappointing behav- iour. Why do we feel the need to be rewarded for do- ing something good for our community or school? The dictionary definition of a volunteer is “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.” Volunteering is more than just doing some- thing good to help someone out with the expectation of a reward. Volunteer- ing should be something that we follow through with throughout our adult lives—not just the two years of NHS we partake in. For the rest of our lives, we will be given opportu- does have non-recyclable content, it will make the entire recycling bin ineli- gible to be recycled. In the classroom there are speci- fied bins for recycling, and for trash. If you are ques- tioning whether or not the item(s) you wish to throw away are recyclable, ask a peer and/or teacher and they may help. Do Not Throw Away an item/items that are not recyclable be- cause all the things in that bin will not be able to go through the recycling pro- cess. Well why recycle? Once everything is collected, it is processed and cleaned to be ready for manufactur- ing, which is the next step.

nities to volunteer. We are encompassed by a society that needs help. There will always be chances to chip into the community around you. But do not let that ruin the importance of volun- teering. Reality check: vol- unteering is not about you. Don’t get me wrong, NHS is a good organization. It brings awareness to events at school and in the com- munity; it shows students the importance of quality work. I understand the fact that participating in NHS may benefit your college applications, but do not volunteer just to get NHS hours. Instead, I would like to propose an idea - volun- Recycling saves energy. When products are made from raw materials ob- tained from recycled prod- ucts the effort and energy is far less than the energy needed to make products from new materials. For example, aluminum con- tains about 41 percent recy- cled aluminum. It takes 95 percent less energy to make a can from recycled alumi- num that from virgin baux- ite ore. Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills. Landfills being so densely packed, much of the degradation hap- pens anaerobically. This then creates methane gas, which is emitted into our atmosphere, also contribut-

By Emily Benti Being a junior and a stu- dent who is not in National Honor Society, I feel as though all I hear my peers talk about is their need to achieve all their volunteer hours. I strongly believe that NHS has polluted the value of volunteering. As a society, we have been so conditioned to only volunteer if there is some- thing in it for us. For exam- ple, during the week of the Pirate Queen shows, I vol- unteered to usher. I found myself in a conversation with a fellow worker where they asked if I was there for NHS hours. I repudiated, saying I was there just for teering for the sake of vol- unteering. Volunteer know- ing that you will not receive anything from it. Volunteer for an event or an organiza- tion you are interested in. Volunteer to get to know people. Volunteer to better yourself as an individual. Practice the idea of being a selfless person. What will happen to us as a society if we only do things for the sake of gaining something for ourselves? Drop the egotistical motivation and do something for someone else where you will not re- ceive anything in return. NHS is polluting the value of volunteering

Maddie Clark Alex Gowing Kyle Hoffenbecker

Rachel Kairys Tony Krueger Sophia Krupka Olivia Molter Amara Neitzke

Henry Ptacek Sonia Tallroth Mariya Todorova Tashia Ulman Benjamin Wespetal Jake Zajkowski Carl Zuleger

FEATURES Appleton, Wisconsin May 2018 Vol. XXIII

Issue IV

Page 5

By Henry Ptacek North Literary Magazine ‘Borealis’ shines light on local writers and artists

would let us to talk about the lit mag. Between the four of us, we made it 41 classes over the course of the week. We gave lit- tle 5 minute presentations about what the literary magazine is, why you should submit and how to submit. In addition to these class vis- its, we made handouts and post- ers, and spoke to anyone who would listen about the lit mag. After that, we just had to wait and hope for submissions. We ended up exceeding my goal of 80 submissions. We were so incredibly excited and impressed to see all of the amazing and moving poetry, art, writing and photographs of the students of Appleton North. Getting the actual submis- sions was the hard part, from there it was just about designing and printing the magazine itself. N: What are you most ex- cited about as it pertains to the Literary Magazine? O: I’m super excited to get this in people’s hands. The mag- azine is filled with some really fantastic pieces of art and writ- ing. The body of works is every- thing from political to personal and I’m so pumped to be able to share the magazine with staff and students. university is able to provide judging for High School and Middle school groups look- ing to pick up another per- spective. Every year, high school bands within WSMA jurisdiction are required to get judged in order for their school to be able to partici- pate in WSMA activities. Band director James Thal- dorf was looking forward to take the band to Carroll for multiple reasons: for one, he was excited for the Honors Band to be able to listen to bands from around Wiscon- sin. In the past, it had been bands in the Fox Cities that North has clinictioned with. Further, Mr. Thaldorf was just excited to make a day out of it for the band, not to men- tion it was simply because it was going to be a worthwhile clinician.

In the end I decided to do it because I didn’t want this year to be the year that The Borealis died. So Mr. Ramponi, Mr. Ed- monds, my small teamof editors and I met to discuss fundraising, as funds were still our number one roadblock. We decided to sell chocolate covered straw- berries in the commons during Lovestruck Week. My editors, Carl Zuleger, Trinity Olson, Tashia Ulman, and I all dedi- cated our lunch hours to selling these strawberries. I made over 400 chocolate strawberries in my kitchen that week. They sold so well that most days we were out by the end of 4th hour. That took care of the funding issue. The next challenge was getting word out to the school about the magazine. In previous editions of The Borealis, I felt underwhelmed by the amount of content I saw. I mean, we are living in the age of Instagram, how could last year’s edition only include three photographs? I knew the issue was that not enough students knew about the literary magazine, how to sub- mit or what they could submit. Last year’s edition had around 40 submissions, I made it my goal to get 80 this year. My editors and I spent a week visiting every class that

Magazine this year?

Olivia Molter: For the past two years I’ve seen very tal- ented and motivated students put together the literary maga- zine. Both times, though, I saw so much potential and room for improvement. This year when I realized no one was in line to put it together, I volunteered. I think the literary magazine is such a wonderful opportunity for students and teachers to be able to share the work they oth- erwise don’t have many chances to showcase. I hope it motivates and inspires people to keep on creating and writing. N: How did you make this years Literary Magazine hap- pen? O: The first thing I was wor- ried about was funding. Printing out-of-house is expensive but I wanted to make sure that we would be putting out a quality product that students would be proud to say their work was part of. This year unfortunately like past years the magazine didn’t receive funding. At that point I wasn’t sure if I wanted to move forward with the publication be- cause, again, I just really wanted to make sure what I would be putting out would be a quality product. the plethora of successful P7 clubs across the United States. When asked about the club’s goals, Westmoreland stated that the club hoped to give “guid- ance to people [through] their faith and to help people in [their] school.” The supportive, Christian-based group spreads positivity every Thursday after school until four o’clock. The club is open to anyone seeking support or a way to increase positivity and hope in their lives. P7 offers a safe, spiritual environment surrounded with considerate individuals. A nor- mal club meeting usually con- sists of a snack, a quick discus- sion on how everyone is doing, prayer time, a lesson, and some- times games and team-building activities. Interested in learning more about P7? You can contact Gabrielle Westmoreland or stop by room 1318 after school on a Thursday to explore the oppor- tunities the club has to offer.

Literature: de- fined as written works, especially those considered of superior or last- ing artistic merit. This establishes the foundation of the Appleton North Lit- erary Magazine, in particular the former half of the defini- tion, “works of last- ing artistic merit.” North students Carl Zuleger, Olivia Molter, Tashia Ul- man and Trinity Ol- son lead the charge, for this years “Lit Mag”. The literary

the name that the editing staff is keen to keep. To campaign for content the editors took a week of their time to go into class- rooms and introduce the project. All of this campaigning paid off, the Literary Magazine received 80-90 submissions. More than double what the magazine re- ceived last year. All of these ac- complishments were achieved without school funding. Olivia answered questions about this years artistic endeavors. The Noctiluca: What made you want to start up the Literary magazine contains photogra- phy, drawings, poetry, stories, graphics and anything that can be classified as art. Showcasing the art ofAppletonNorth is what the Lit Mag is all about. The Lit- erary Magazine is largely up to the responsibility of the students to create. Olivia Molter spear- headed the project this year, us- ing her own love for art to get students involved. The ritual of student leadership resurfaced two years ago with the revital- ized magazine, the Borealis, New club Project7 sparks religious involvement

North’s Honors band visits Carroll University

By Henry Ptacek

Project 7 in their club element including snacks and meaning- ful discussion. Photo courtesy of Gabby Westmoreland

On April 13th the Apple- ton North Honors Band en- tered to play in a constructive clinic at Carroll University. Carroll University worked in conjunction with WSMA to create a judged performance so that bands from around Wisconsin could learn. Clini- cian Darrell Brown worked with the band for a one hour segment of time, touching topics of environment, ar- ticulation and much more. Bands from around Wiscon- sin traveled to Waukesha to share this experience. In con- junction with WSMA Carroll

There are clubs present in al- most every state, and each orga- nization works to advocate the same mission statement: “Un- lock faith, unleash truth, elevate Christ, serve others.” The Noctiluca sat down with the club’s president, junior Gabrielle Westmoreland to gain insight on the new club.Accord- ing to Westmoreland, Project7, or P7, is a Bible study club that preaches “lessons on how to live your life for God and be the best Christian you can be.” Westmo- reland got the idea to start a P7 club at Appleton North through her church and was inspired by

By Maddi Waters

Project7 is a club that works on allowing people to embrace their spirituality and getting them involved in our commu- nity. Project7 notices that I/E periods can fill rapidly with club meetings and homework help, so P7 can be the perfect new group for someone with a busy schedule to join. The title “Proj- ect7” refers to a project leading to completion in Christ through- out the seven years of middle and highschool. Project7 is a student-led or- ganization that is spreading rap- idly across the United States.

Appleton North School Spirit School spirit is typically associated with sports games, loud cheering, and crazy dress up days. Clever chants are how students express pride in their school, and here at North we are proud to support an outstanding athletic program. Hundreds of students regularly attend the Friday night football games to show their Lightning pride, but how can we support our other successful programs that lack a competitive atmosphere and a way to celebrate your school spirit with colorful clothes and repetitive chants? Center Spread by Ahmad Abdel-Azim with contributions from Annessa Ihde, Jonathan Buyze, Adithi Reddy, and Sophia Krupka In what activity are you most proud to represent Appleton North?

“I’m proud to represent Appleton North High School in cross country and soccer… The teams are awesome and have many other amazing students in them. Also, the coaches are very kind and help with improvement.” ~ Ava Tews (Freshman)

“I’m proud to represent the swim team because it gives me an opportunity to spend time with my friends after school and stay fit. It is a great program, and the coaches are so kind and understanding.” ~ Sarah Krajnik (Sophomore)

“DECA. I learned a lot of skills for my future and was able to participate in fun events... DECA has made me a better person and I’m proud to say I’ve been a member for the past three years.” ~ Samantha Carroll (Senior)

“Cross country. Even though we are a minority in the athletic program, every person on the team takes it seriously and we work hard so we can be proud of our achievements.” ~ Gabby Deboer (Junior)

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” r’s definition of school s irit reflects the goal of all North’s extracur- ricular programs: to represent Appleton North as best as possible and use every student’s ta ent r School s irit is all about taking pride in and representing the values of one’s school. Though acting and singing in a musical might look a lot different than competing in a sports game, the principles that both programs are founded on remain the same. Acceptance, responsibility, respect, character, achievement, excellence, compassion, integrity, and perseverance. l- ues while representing Appleton North is how all students, athletes, actors, and musicians can express their school spirit. A loud, crazy football game is certainly one of the places you can experience school spirit, and perhaps it even the most obvious; however, school spirit can be found in countless other places and programs, and expres in countless different ways. A packed auditorium on closing night, a crazy choir room during rehearsal, a dark - stage crowded with the devoted tech team and talented orchestra. School spirit is every and any situation in w ich students dedicate themselves to representing their school the best way that they can, whether that be winning a game or performing a musical. These are t e c aracter s cs or s u en s .

Competitive Clubs By Ahmad Abdel-Azim

Here at Appleton North, a multitude of clubs are avail- able for students to join in order to foster their school pride. The various activities that clubs, especially com- petitive clubs, participate in, such as competitions and assemblies, are critical in the development of school spirit within the Appleton North community. While

Appleton North Forensics Team.

Appleton North Math Team.

they may not have spectators and a student section roaring with North pride, they represent Appleton North, leaving people with a positive image of Appleton North. Moreover, the apparel that each club wears at these events fosters a sense of unity within the student body. This sense of unity is cru- cial for school spirit. Mrs. Bruch, an advisor for the Appleton North forensics team, adds, “Being part of a smaller community, who have a common goal and spend time together, helps you get to know other people. Getting to know people helps you feel connected, and when you feel connected, you’re going to have more investment in what it is going on around you.” As part of a relatively large school, it is important for North students to join a club to feel connected to their peers; this will consequently increase school pride. In addition, the success that particularly competitive clubs have at their various competitions causes a dramatic growth in school pride. Mrs. Klunder, the advisor to the Appleton North math team, comments, “When your individual accomplishments work to better a team that is representing a school, school pride begins to grow within those members of the student body.” When one thinks of North spirit, sports are usually the first activity that comes to mind; however, it is necessary to realize that clubs, particularly competitive clubs, are also critical in the development of school pride within the student body.

Lightning Band By Jonathan Buyze

The Appleton North Band has demonstrated multiple examples of school spirit through its 22 years of existence. The band’s Director, Mr. Thaldorf, and three senior Drum Majors, Kaitlyn Janssen, SamWoo, and Helen Zhou, all agreed on three events that best exemplify the Band’s purpose in showing school spirit: the Marching Band during the football season, the Pep Band during the basketball season, and the three city-wide parades they participate in. The Marching Band has never missed a home football game in the history of the school. Occasionally, the band has been unable to play fully due to inclement weather, but its intent has always been to play. “I think it is important for everyone to be a part of events going on at our school,” Mr. Thaldorf comments. “To be a part of the band, to be participating in the event, to be a spectator, to be a supportive parent can all add to our school spirit and atmosphere.” The Lightning Pep Band has also been asked to play for many of the home basketball games. For a few games, Band members have voluntarily come to play at games that were not assigned to them. “I think the fact that so many Band kids show up to perform at basketball games shows that they really care about keeping the school spirit alive in competitive events,” adds Sam Woo. The Pep Band has also played at other school functions, such as assemblies, graduations, and award ceremonies. “I think our music definite-

ly heightens the ambiance of these school events,” states Drum Major Helen Zhou. Throughout the year, the Lightning Marching Band also participates in three community parades: the Holiday, Memorial Day, and Flag Day parades. Each of these parades has their own unique sig- nificance and are opportunities for the Fox Valley to experience the Band’s phenomenal playing. “I often tell students that for some people in our community, this may be the only time they ever have direct contact with anyone from North High School. It is our job to represent our school at the highest level,” explains Mr. Thaldorf. “I commonly see former band students and North students, the oldest being in their early 40’s, with their children and families who are proud to be North graduates.”

School Events By Sophia Krupka

When someone says “school spirit”, some of the first images that come to mind are Friday night football games and pep rallies. What is often missed though, are the groups involved with organizing or adding to these events. One such group is our school’s Performance Team. At football games, they are out on the track helping rev up the crowd, leading the stands in cheers, putting on routines, and performing at halftime. They do not just invigorate spectators at football games though, they go to games with our basketball teams, and as in years past, they cheered our girls basketball team through the season and on to State. Not only do they support some of our sports teams, but they are also a competitive group themselves. The Performance team puts in the practice time to take their routines to competitions, making them another contributor to North’s pride through what they do. Another group that does not necessarily get noticed as a contributor to the school’s spirit is Student Council. Behind the scenes of pep rallies, Lovestruck week, Coffeehouse, and community-based events like food drives, Student Council works on organizing and running a handful of different events at North. Out of all the events they put together the ones that amp up pirit in students the most noticeably are the pep rallies. “When all students cheer nd

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ncourage their peers, it reveals the true school spirit that the students at North hol Parnika Shukla, a member of Student Council said. By organizing these ac- tivities and projects, Student Council adds more flavor to student’s day-to- day routines and certainly increases school spirit at North.

By Jack Cain Almost, Maine; a true romantic comedy The residents of Almost, a FEATURES Appleton, Wisconsin May 2018 Vol. XXIII

Issue V Page 8

I interviewed Meg Cain, a freshman cast member of Al- most, Maine. The Noctiluca: How would you describe Almost, Maine? Meg Cain: A brutally honest play of magical love stories that occur under the Northern Lights in a small, nonexistent town. N: What part do you play? M: I play Sandrine, a woman who accidentally runs into her ex-boyfriend at her bachelorette party and has to break the news to him telling him she’s getting married. He isn’t thrilled. It’s hecka awk- ward. There’s a supernatural twist at the end but you have to have seen it to find out! N: How has your experi- ence in your first year of the- atre been? M: I’ve gotten the privi- lege to be one of the nine gor- geous members of Improvedy, which has been the coolest thing ever. The musical was also incredible, and I loved

by Hayden Freeman, Joel Burkert, and Tony Krueger. After this game, the most involved players met at the Ballard McDonalds to cre- ate the official rules. This was where the rule book was drafted. Since then, Survival has increased in popular- ity and is now a school-wide phenomenon. Survival is essentially an expanded capture the flag match spanning a large por- tion of Plamann Park with a few differences. Similar to capture the flag, the oppo- nent’s flag must be brought into your half of the course to win. Instead of tagging opponents, you must make contact with their torso with a stick or PVC pipe of no more than four feet in length. Due to the violence that this aspect of the game incites, all participants must sign an in- formal liability form before playing. Generally, there are two major teams that partici- pate: The Squatches and The Goonters, these teams are not set in stone, and one may join being apart of something where so many people were working extremely hard to reach a common goal. I think everyone should experience something like that. North Theatre is a great way to have a professional, challenging experience with a ton of tal- ented people. N: What’s your favorite aspect of Almost, Maine? M: I like the playwright, John Cariani. He does an in- credible job of portraying nat- ural speech and the awkward- ness of real-life relationships. It makes our job way easier as actors. I also love his use of metaphors, and their ability to make realistic heartbreak come alive in a relatable way. Everyone who saw it was bound to connect to the sto- ries of Almost, Maine in more ways than one. Almost, Maine began showings May 2nd. A short review stated “It was a beauti- ful, funny show about real-life love and heartbreak.”

small fictional town in north- ern Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in strange, unorthodox ways si- multaneously as the Northern Lights hover ominously above them at 9 p.m. on a cold mid- winter night. Filled with surreal, super- natural experiences dealing with the agonizing joys of love, Almost, Maine reminds audiences of a strange hybrid between the classic holiday romantic comedy, Love Ac- tually, and the iconic black- and-white television show, The Twilight Zone. Almost, Maine tells the stories of nine couples in individual vi- gnettes, each with their own supernatural twist. Relation- ships end, begin, or change drastically throughout the course of a brief 5-7 minute segment, all while bring- ing out every drop of beauty, hardship, and hysteria that love has to offer.

Cast A during their “bows” on the last day of performances. Photo by Catherine McKenzie

Student-created game ‘Survival of the Fitness’ gains popularity for the coming spring

then we realized that we had captured a random stick and not the actual flag. It broke whatever was left of my heart.[sic.]” Games usually take place on weekend nights. For spe- cific times, you may want to follow @survivalofthefit- nessofficial on instagram or just ask around. Survival is a great way to connect with the community and engage with the natural world. If you’re looking for a valuable extra- curricular and an enhanced perspective on strategy, war- fare, how to control your body, and psychosis, then Survival is right for you. “Survival of the Fitness is a fun activity that is espe- cially great because it is out- doors and active. You have the opportunity to strategize and compete in a fun differ- ent way than other games. Almost everyone who has come to our matches has had a great time and asks when the next survival will be [sic.]”, said Mikey Mejia.

either one without penalty and may even create one’s own team. When asked what origi- nally got him into the game, Sahil Baherwala said “It was mostly my affiliation with the squatches and my allegiance with Tony Krueger…. It was a good way to make friends as well.” The Appleton North Senior went on to explain why Survival is such an ap- pealing game. “I would say that it’s incredibly fun and it’s a good healthy activity. Also, sometimes it’s just fun hitting someone with a stick. Just try it once because you’ll probably come back. Of the people that come, there is a lot of diversity which I think is a beautiful thing.” Recall- ing his favorite memories from playing, Sahil shared some of these experiences with us. “Once I brought a bunch of ethnic food to con- sume which I think every- one enjoyed. There’s usually some snacks involved with Survival. Also, one time we thought we won a game but

Tony Krueger posing for a picture during a summer match of his self-created game. Photo courtesy of Noah Faber

By Tony Krueger

have developed a game that simulates the “most primitive aspects of the human mind”. A contest of mental strength, speed, and agility. The game of Survival of the Fitness is a game that has the potential to gain city wide popularity in the coming year. Survival is open to anyone and can be enjoyed at any age. Before jumping right into the game, it’s important to first estab- lish the basics. The first “Survival” was played in the fall of 2016 and was based on the original concept of the game created

If you live in the Apple- ton area, there’s a chance you have pondered the origins of shrieks and the clashing of sticks that you hear in the woods in Plaman Park on Sat- urday nights. Hopefully this article will offer an explana- tion as to where these strange sounds come from. A group of Appleton North students ‘Survival of the Fitness’ has been played for two summers so far

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